Gadget: Mecha

This article complies with version 0.94 of Runarcana RPG

Although the term “mecha” is normally used to designate manned vehicles (generally with an anthropomorphic shape) it can also be used for external structures such as exoskeletons, which, unlike mechas, only partially protect the body of its crew member, similar to armor.

Mechas are classified into 2 primary types, based on their level of shielding: Partial, when they partially protect the body of their crew member or Complete, when they completely protect the body of their crew member. Still, there are mechs that can switch between the two types of shielding by transforming.

Normally a Mecha has the same size category as its creator, but it is possible to create Mechas up to the “Huge” size category and be crewed by even several creatures. Above this category, there are no known Techmaturges who have undertaken such a large amount of resources and time for execution.

Although the term “mecha” originally refers to these constructs of mechanical origin, in several cases the technology used to construct them is not purely mechanical, and may involve chemicals, living tissue, among other possibilities, which only expands the narrative possibilities of the Mechas. Still, by default all mechs, regardless of their techmaturgical line, follow the same rules.

Building a Mecha

The time and Value in OP needed to build a Mecha varies according to the size and characteristics of the Mecha, and as in any formula, it is necessary to have the Value in OP for each day of work so that it can be carried out.

A Mecha's starting values are based on its size and armor category:

Mecha Features

— Mecha base value —
Size	Complete	Partial
Small	250 gp	125 gp
Medium	500 gp	250 gp
Large	1.000 gp	750 gp
Huge	10.000 gp	7.500 gp

The Mecha only receives the following basic characteristics at its creation, with the possibility of more characteristics being added during this creation, adding the Value and time necessary for this:

Armor

By default, it is not possible to wear armor while using a Mecha (except in the case of a Full Shielding Mecha and two size categories above the size category of its crew member. E.g. a Small size crew member wearing armor, can crew a Large-sized mecha). A Mecha is created with little additional space so that the crew can carry objects, a backpack, or even armor, with all of these possibilities being viable when creating the development for it.

Still, it is possible that during the Mecha project the option to enter with armor is possible, for this, it is necessary to add a Value to the project based on the maximum category of armor that a standard crew member can use when manning a Mecha:

0 GP - No Armor
+50 GP - Able to wear light armor
+100 GP - Able to wear medium armor
+150 GP - Able to wear heavy armor

This modification does not require a Development slot and is considered an integral part of the basic Mecha. A Mecha that allows the use of medium armor also allows the use of light armor or even no armor, but not heavy armor. A Mecha that allows the use of heavy armor allows any other type of armor to be used.

Mecha Defensea

When a crew member uses armor when piloting a mecha (which allows this), if it is fully armored, the armor is wrapped and protected along with the user, but its AC is not applied and any DR that the armor has is only applied damage received by the crew member.

AMecha Armor

— Armor —
AC	DR	Type	STR	GP
1	0	-	-	15
2	1	Light	-	25
3	1	Light	11	45
4	1	Medium	13	200
5	1	Medium	15	300
6	2	Heavy	15	350
7	2	Heavy	17	400
8	3	Heavy	19	2000

It is also possible during the creation of the Mecha, to add an Armor Value to it, the advantage of this development is that the crew member can now count on the benefit of armor with an action when joining the mecha, but as a disadvantage, this armor is attached to the Mecha, so it is important to take into consideration the design of each Mecha.

Each Armor Value on a Mecha has a minimum prerequisite of Strength (either of the Mecha or its crew member), if this Value is not reached, the crew member must have proficiency with the type of armor in question or it must be added o Defense Development for the Mecha, if a crew member does not have proficiency, Value in Strength or Development, as with armor, they will have disadvantage in any attribute test, save or attack roll involving Strength or Dexterity, and cannot cast spells.

The Value required to add armor to the Mecha during its creation is based on the AC that said armor offers. It is still possible to add layers of Armor strengthening with other Developments.

Shapes

Although most Mechas are anthropomorphic, there are Mechas that can take the form of animals, insects, or even forms not based on any organic creature. This form is defined at the time of the Mecha's creation.

Fuel

Every Mecha requires fuel for its use. The power category required is that of at least one Reactor, with the correct category of Reactor required depending on the level and size of the Mecha, with the simplest ones requiring a Category 1 Reactor while the more advanced ones may require more than one Category 5 Reactor, increasing its price and complexity considerably.

A damaged Mecha requires time and a value in GP to repair based on the damage received. A Mecha that has reached 0 hit points requires at least 50% of its Creation Value for repair if the Mecha's broken parts can be salvaged. When this is not possible, the Repair Value increases, up to a maximum of 100% which means rebuilding a Mecha from scratch.

Complete Shielding

As previously described, a Complete Shielding Mecha consists of a vehicle that the crew member is able to enter and fully protect themselves from the outside world.

Statistics

A Complete Shielding Mecha is a vehicle, has a base AC of 10 and a number of hit points based on its size and 30 feet of travel. By default, a Mecha has a Constitution and Strength Value of 10, however, if the crew member has greater Strength, this is the Mecha's Strength Value.

At the time of its construction, a Mecha does not have a Dexterity Value, with the same being the Dexterity Value of its crew member reduced by 2.

When unmanned, a Mecha automatically fails any saving throw except Strength or Constitution. A Mecha can have immunities and resistances to some types of damage chosen during its construction, see the Optional Rule: Immunities and Resistances. All Mecha are immune to the Frightened, Charmed, Poisoned, Intoxicated, and Bleed conditions. This does not make the Mecha crew member immune to these conditions.

Optional Rule: Immunities and Resistances

This optional rule adds an additional characteristic to Mechas, an interaction with damage types, offering versatility and unique characteristics.

Based on the techmaturgical line used, the Complete Shielding Mecha has some resistances, vulnerabilities and immunities. These characteristics are related to the armor itself, although a Mecha can be composed of several techmaturgical lines in its composition, when created, the armor has the following characteristics based on its line:

— Imunidades e Resistências —
Line	Vulnerability	Resistance	Immunity
Ascendant	shadow	solar	radiant
Axiomata	opposite*	primary elemental in creation	primary elemental in creation
Azakana	radiant	shadow	necrotic
Buhru	necrotic	electric	shadow
Celestial	force and necrotic	solar and lunar	radiant
Crystal	thunder	fire	electric
Floral	fire	electric	acid
Dark Ice	psychic	necrotic or poison	ice
True Ice	electric, psychic	fire	acid, ice
Hemomantic	poison	electric	necrrotic
Hextech	electric	necrrotic or poison	psychic
Marine Life	acid	electric	fire
Nature	fire	electric	acid
Petricite	thunder	primary elemental in creation	force
Chemtech	necrotic	psychic or poison	electric
Voidborn	acid and lunar	fire and radiant	electric
*The element opposite to the simple elemental chosen at creation

When using a Complete Shielding Mecha, the crew member receives the following characteristics:

A Mecha has a carrying capacity one size category larger than its own.
When inside a Mecha, it takes damage for you
To enter or leave a Mecha you need to use an action.
Upon entering the Mecha, its Physical Attribute Values and speed receive the following changes:
- Strength becomes that of the Mecha or the Crewman, whichever is greater, up to a limit of 20
- Dexterity becomes the crewman's Dexterity -2
- Mecha Constitution is unchanged
You maintain your values of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
While inside a Mecha, you take on its hit points. When destroyed, you are forced out of your Mecha, and return to the number of hit points you had before entering the Mecha. However, if you exit the Mecha as a result of it being destroyed, all excess damage will be transferred to you. For example, if your Mecha takes 10 damage and only has 1 health left, you are forced out and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce you to 0 hit points, you won't fall Unconscious. When destroyed, you must make a DC 12 Strength or Dexterity saving throw, on a failure you take 2d6 bashing damage due to being inside the Mecha at the time of its destruction, and are Prone.
You retain the benefits of all features from class, origin, or other sources, and can use them if the Mecha form is physically capable of doing so.
You retain the benefits of all features from class, origin, or other sources, and can use them if the Mecha form is physically capable of doing so.
Attack or AoE skills and spells that target you hit your Mecha instead of you. If a creature tries to hit you while inside your Mecha, you take 3/4 cover and the creature makes the attack roll at disadvantage.
Spells that affect you while you are in the Mecha are at the DM's discretion as to whether their effect is reduced, nullified or normalized.

Partial Shielding

As described previously, a Partial Shielding Mecha consists of an exoskeleton or even a vehicle in which the crew member receives protection but is not isolated from the outside world, normally docking with it. By default, a Partial Shielding Mecha's AC is the same as its crew member, and the amount of hit points that mecha has is based on its size.

Its speed is 30 feet of displacement and by default, a Mecha has a Constitution and Strength Value equal to 10, however, if the crew member has greater Strength, this is the Mecha's Strength Value.

When using a Partial Shielding Mecha, the crew member receives the following characteristics:

A Mecha's hit points are defined by its size and build.
When inside a Partial Shielding Mecha, the damage is split half on the crew member and half on the mecha
A Mecha has a carrying capacity one size category larger than its own.
To enter or leave a Mecha you need to use an action.
Upon entering the Mecha, its physical attribute values and speed receive the following changes:
- Strength becomes that of the Mecha or the Crewman, whichever is greater, up to a limit of 20
- Dexterity becomes the crewman's Dexterity
You maintain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma Values.
While using a Mecha, you share damage taken with the Mecha. If a Partially Shielding Mecha has its hit points reduced to 0, it is broken and does not provide any benefit to the crew member.
You retain the benefits of all features from class, origin, or other sources, and can use them if the Mecha form is physically capable of doing so.
All your equipment stays with you and can be used normally.
Attack or AoE skills and spells that target you hit you and your Mecha.
Spells that affect you while you are in the Mecha are at the DM's discretion regarding your interaction with the Mecha.

Heating

— Mecha Heating —
Level	Effect
2	Speed -5 feet
4	Speed -10 feet
6	Speed -15 feet
8	Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
10	Your speed becomes 5 feet
12	Overheated

The Mechas have a Heating system, when they reach maximum Heating, they go into inactivity mode, requiring time for it to cool down and be operated again.

Warm-Up. A Mecha has two movement patterns, a normal pattern that does not generate Heat and an accelerated pattern that does. When entering combat, a Mecha generates 1 Heating point for each attack made or received. Your Heat levels last for 1 minute. You decrease 1 level of Heating if you go 1 turn without making an attack with your Mecha or if you are not hit by one.

All speeds your Mecha has are reduced by Heating effects.

When Overheated, you must perform a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, on a failure you fall from your Mecha and take 2d6 fire damage. On a success, you exit your Mecha normally. An Overheated Mecha must go at least 3 rounds without being used to reduce a Heating level, when it stops being Overheated, it returns to decreasing Heating levels normally.

Hit Points

— Hit Pointsa —
Size	Complete	Partial
Small	6	3
Medium	8	4
Large	10	5
Huge	12	6

The Mecha has a total of life points equal to its Shielding Value (which is defined by the size and type of armor) times the Craft level of its creation, plus any Modifiers that Developments made on the Mecha may have. Among the development modifiers, there can be several features that can add fixed values or even multiplicative Values.

HP = Shielding * Craft + Development Modifiers

Example. A Complete Shielding Medium Mecha created at Craft level 4 has a total of 4*8 hit points, thus totaling 32 base hit points. A Partial Shielding Medium Mecha created with Craft level 4 has a total of 4*5 health points, thus totaling 20 points.

Repairing a Mecha

— Supply —
Size	Dice	Cost
Small	d6	2 gp
Medium	d8	5 gp
Large	d10	20 gp
Huge	d12	50 gp

Repairing a Mecha requires Craft tools, repair supplies, and a DC 15 Craft roll for Mechas of the same Craft level as the Techmaturge. At the end of 1 hour of work, the Mecha recovers a number of hit points equal to the Craft level employed times the Mecha's hit die.

Mecha of different levels modify the DC based on the level difference, +2 for each level above and -1 for each level below.

If the Mecha has its hit points reduced to less than half, when the repair is done by a Techmaturge with a lower Craft level, the Mecha's level is reduced to the maximum that the Techmaturge is capable of, thus reducing the Mecha's capabilities. Move according to its new level.

Each level below decreases the DC by 1. At the end of 1 hour, a Value is spent on supplies according to the Repair table and 1 full hit die is recovered per Craft level.

Magic

A Mecha can be repaired with the repair cantrip and the repair damage spell with only half the spell's effectiveness, since a Mecha is not a living construct. As an Optional Component of the repair damage spell (which is consumed during casting), a repair charge can be used so that the spell has its full effect applied.

The repair alone cantrip is only capable of repairing damage less than 1 hit die of the Mecha, restoring its functionality but not its hit points. Any damage above this cannot be repaired with the trick alone, but it is still possible to use this trick with repair charges.

When using the repair cantrip, having a repair charge available, the cantrip causes the charge to be used and one hit die of the Mecha is recovered per charge, having the advantage of time spent for this.

Development

Below are the developments that can be made to a Mecha. Each of these formulas is capable of carrying out a specific development in Mecha.

When you choose the Mecha formula for the Techmaturge Craft, you also receive a number of Development formulas equal to your Intelligence bonus times your Techmaturge Craft level.

Development Spaceso

The maximum Developments that a Mecha is capable of having is equal to the Craft level used during the construction of the Mecha + half of the techmaturge's Intelligence modifier.

List of Developments

Below are some developments. Each Development uses one space (unless stated otherwise in the formula). Some Developments have several levels linked to the Craft level, each of these Developments requires knowledge of the formula for it, but improvements to these Developments when applied to the Mecha, do not take up additional space, maintaining the use of only the original space (except if the formula declare otherwise).

Pneumatic Enhancement I, II, III

— Attribute —
Craft	Attribute	GP	Craft	Atrribute	GP
1	11	25	3	18	300
1	12	50	3	19	375
1	13	75	3	20	450
1	14	100	5	21	575
1	15	125	5	22	700
1	16	150	5	23	825
3	17	225	5	24	950

Craft: Techmaturge 1, 3, 5
DC: 13, 17, 21
Component: Mecha, Metal, and Craft Set
Value: 25, 75,125 gp

Each time this development is chosen, choose 1 attribute between Strength or Constitution, the Mecha receives +1 to the Value of the chosen attribute. The maximum Attribute Values that a Mecha can achieve in this way is limited by its Craft level, 16 for 1st, 20 for 3rd and 24 for 5th.

Each improved attribute counts as a Development space. Ex. A Mecha with Strength increased to 26 will use 1 Development slot, while a Mecha that has Strength increased to 14 and Constitution increased to 12 will use two Development slots.

Mechas with Constitution above 10 add their Constitution modifier times their Craft level to their Hit Points.